Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan tested positive for the coronavirus and chose not to restart Orlando, Florida next month with his team, he announced Monday.
“I found out last night and reconfirmed today that I tested positive for Covid while returning to the market,” Jordan wrote on Twitter. “As a result of this, I will not be in Orlando for the resumption of the season.”
I found out last night and reconfirmed today that I tested positive for Covid while returning to the market. As a result of this, I will not be in Orlando for the resumption of the season.
– DeAndre Jordan (@DeAndre) June 30, 2020
Jordan’s agent with Excel Sports informed management of the decision on Monday, the sources said.
Jordan and guard Spencer Dinwiddie tested positive for COVID-19, although Dinwiddie has not yet been officially ruled out, he told The Athletic on Monday.
Forward Wilson Chandler told ESPN on Sunday that he chose not to restart the season, citing family concerns.
Even before these positive tests, some Nets players, like others on various NBA teams, discussed the possibility of a restart in Orlando, sources said. As the Nets lose more players, it may be easier for other key players to decide that there is no compelling competitive reason to travel and play.
The Nets are one of 22 NBA teams slated to resume games on July 30 in Orlando, Florida. They are seventh in the Eastern Conference, a half game ahead of the Orlando Magic for the final playoff spot.
The Nets’ practice facilities in Brooklyn reopened on Tuesday after being closed for several days, sources told ESPN, as the team had not organized training during that time. NBA regulations require that the team’s current practices in the markets be socially distanced and do not include any contact between players. The teams will not start formal training camps until they arrive in Orlando in mid-July.
Teams must submit lists of eligible players to the NBA on Wednesday. The Nets are signing free agent Justin Anderson as Chandler’s substitute player, Priority Sports agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN, and sources said the Nets also plan to sign a substitute for Jordan.
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